The present invention relates to a device for filling bags with a powder-like or granular flowable material, especially sand, having an especially funnel-shaped hopper for the flowable material with a bottom portion that has connected thereto a horizontal worm conveyor driven by an electric motor as well as a filling socket extending from an end face of the hopper and being angled vertically downwardly. The worm conveyor opens into the filling socket onto which the bag to be filled is slidable, whereby within the receiving area of the filling socket for the bag to be filled a switch is arranged which, upon sliding the bag onto the filling socket, is actuated and activates the filling process.
A particular field of application of the inventive filling device is the filling of sand bags. Such sand bags are, for example, used for building a dam in flood situations. However, the inventive filling device is also suitable for other flowable materials, in particular powder-like or granular flowable materials.
From U.S. Pat. No. 3,867,970 a device for mixing two materials, especially cement and sand, and the subsequent filling into respective containers are known. For this purpose, hoppers for the materials to be mixed are provided which are closed by flaps that can be activated by a piston-cylinder unit. The two hoppers open at their bottom portion into a worm conveyor. The worm conveyor opens into a vertically downwardly angled filling socket onto which the bags to be filled are to be slipped. This filling socket, in the receiving area for the bag to be filled, is provided with a bag clamping device which is in operative connection with a switch. This switch, in turn, is in operative connection with an electromagnetic valve for the piston/cylinder unit. After adjustment of the correct ratio of the materials to be mixed the worm conveyor is switched to permanent operation. By slipping a bag to be filled onto the filling socket the bag clamping device activates the switch and the switch operates the electromagnetic valve which, via the piston/cylinder unit, pivots the flaps so that the materials contained in the hoppers are conveyed into the worm conveyor and are mixed therein. During mixing the materials are simultaneously moved towards the filling socket and are conveyed into the bag. After removal of the bag the flaps are closed and the filling process is terminated.
Based on this prior art device, it is an object of the present invention to provide a filling device of the aforementioned kind that is easy to manipulate and that also provides for a high filling capacity.